


Second Chances

by bitofageek



Series: Soul [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ashes Scene in Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Infinity Gems, Major Character Undeath, Other, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sad with a Happy Ending, Soul Stone (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-17 13:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16096988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitofageek/pseuds/bitofageek
Summary: Just cause you don't consider yourself a hero, doesn't mean you aren't one.





	Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HELP! If anyone downloaded a pdf or saved a copy of the original version, please message me. I accidentally deleted it while working on another chapter idea :(  
> Thanks!

Nebula's form had been altered so many times by Thanos she was convinced she was no longer able to cry. As her ship left the atmosphere of Vormir, carrying the bodies of her sister and her team mate, she was convinced she would never be able to stop.

She had been consumed with anger and hatred for so long, the force of her grief upon seeing her sister's lifeless body had overwhelmed her - it was so unexpected. She was aware of nothing but the crashing waves of it... until Stark's voice seeped into her consciousness... " - not enough to keep the stone.” she heard. She saw the Keeper’s eyes widen with surprise; the minute acknowledgment. Tony turned to her and gave her a small smile, “make sure everyone’s OK.”  

And the human stepped over the edge.

Nothing happened.

Nothing changed.

They were dead. Half the universe was dead. Her sister, her team mates.

Gone.

She wanted to collapse - to disappear, but she could not leave their bodies alone on Vormir. So she brought them onboard as carefully as she could and set a course for Earth.

*******

"You should have gone for the head."

They were gone. Disappeared before his eyes.

So. Many. People. So many friends.

Thor was beyond simple grief.

The fighting had stopped. Thanos' army no longer rose against them - half their number gone as well.  With Thanos' control no longer on them, they retreated to their ships and left the earth as quickly as they had come. Had the creatures wished to fight, they would have easily overtaken the humans, as stunned and grieving as they were.

The survivors of the fight against Thanos and his minions walked across the battlefield in silence. What was there to say?

********

Nebula was relieved when she saw Thanos' army leaving earth. It was the first time she felt anything other than the deep sorrow that had engulfed her since Vormir. Following the trajectory of the enemy ships, she flew into earth's atmosphere towards the battlefield of Wakanda.

Everyone heard the ship as it approached, and Rocket and Thor recognized it. They ran to it; Bruce, Rhodey, Steve, Natasha, and Okoye followed behind. Nebula emerged from the ship and walked toward them; Thor and Rocket reached her first.

"We couldn't stop him." she whispered, dazed and exhausted.

"Neither could we," Thor replied.

"I couldn't leave them," Nebula said. "I brought them back with me." Thor, Rocket and the gathered humans were confused.

"Brought who back?" Bruce asked.

"He killed my sister for the soul stone." Nebula continued. No one spoke; it was so quiet, you could hear your own breathing. "We didn't know. Everyone just... disappeared. Only Stark and I were left."

"Tony?!?" Bruce breathed "What..." he climbed out of the hulk-buster suit.

Nebula looked over at Bruce and continued, "Thanos stabbed him, but let him live - the human who dared attack." She smiled a little; Bruce did too, he couldn't help it - Tony was a ballsy bastard. "Thanos disappeared with the time stone and left us on Titan. And everyone disappeared right in front of us." She paused as the pain rose fresh in her mind, then continued.

"Stark... had an idea... about the soul stone... we went to Vormir and found the Keeper of the stone.  'A soul for a soul' he said'." Nebula's eyes shone with fresh tears. "We saw Gamora's body at the base of a cliff where our _'father'_ had thrown her."

Bruce's stomach dropped. He knew what was coming - he REALLY wanted to be wrong. He heard Rhodey's breath catch.

"Stark was talking to the Keeper. I didn't hear what they were saying - I couldn't stop looking at my sister's body. I didn't know..."  she paused and took a deep breath before continuing, then looked up at them. "He looked at me, and he smiled and said, 'make sure everyone’s OK'.... and stepped over the edge."

Silent tears flowed down Nebula's cheeks. Everyone was stunned. Rhodey would have collapsed if he wasn't in his suit. Bruce did collapse.

"I brought them back." Nebula whispered.

The silence was deafening.

.

.

.

Then the wind began to whisper.

And the whisper grew.

Echos of voices at the edge of awareness.

*

*

*

Soul holds a special place among the infinity stones.

You might say it has a certain wisdom.

The stone demands a sacrifice.

In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love.

A soul for a soul.

*

*

*

All around was orange, sky, sea; in the distance, a child stood. 

Thanos walked towards her, recognition dawning. She turned. 

“Did you do it?”

“Yes”

“What did it cost?”

“...Everything”

Sorrow was written on her face, knowledge weighed heavily in her heart.

*

*

*

They weren't alone

“You didn’t love enough - not enough to keep the stone.”

The stone appeared in Tony's hand. 

Soul made a choice.

*

*

*

The wind grew wildly from whispering to howling. 

Orange mist swirled around them, solidified, flashed.

Nebula's ship glowed brightly, making it impossible to see. 

The glow dimmed...

And they were back.

ALL of them. 

*

 

Thanos' creatures, once dust, fled to their ships and away. 

*

*

Those touched by the stones in death -

       Space - Loki

               Mind - Vision

                     - returned.

 The Soul stone wasn't done.

*** * ***

Soul holds a special place among the infinity stones.

You might say it has a certain wisdom.

 

* * *

 

 

In the door of the ship, Tony and Gamora stood supporting each other, looking rather a lot more than shocked. 

Rhodey and Bruce were the first to move, practically tackling Tony out of joy.

Tony found Vision and hugged him - it was weird but nice. 

Loki let Thor hug him, and pretended he didn't like it. 

Rocket and Nebula didn't tackle Gamora, but it was a close thing. 

A portal opened and the Guardians of the Galaxy poured out, followed by Spiderman and Strange and the hug-fest started all over again. 

Tony approached Strange and hugged him, too. 

Cloak approved. 

*

*

*

The stone demands a sacrifice.

A soul for a soul.

* * * 

On a deserted planet, in the middle of nowhere, dust blew across the porch of a lone wooden hut. 

 

 

 


End file.
